Switch-operating mechanism for electric railways



A. PATZ 1,780,939

S WITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Nov. 11, 1930.

Filed Dec. 15, 1927 1!. 9 r 5 0 9 .M s Th n 0 n P Q V m a v Patented Nov. 11, 1930 OFFICE ALEXANDER PA'IZ, or BUnAPEsT, HUNGARY SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Application filed December 15, 1927, Serial No. 240,245, and in- Hungary July 17, 1926.

This invention relates to a switch-operating mechanism for electric railways, by means of which the switch may be operated at will by the driver of the tramway-car or by the engine-driver.

The invention relates mainly to such switch-operating mechanisms, in whichthe pointed rail is operated by a lever or other transmission-means, in a manner known per se, from an electromagnet (solenoid), and it consists essentially in providing, in the elements connecting the iron-core otthe' electromagnet with the pointed rail,at any convenient point an idle movement necessary for reversing the exciter-clrcult and functloning at the reverslng of the dlrectlon 0tmovement of the adjusting armature, said adjusting armature being loaded in itsextreme position by a spring, weight or other force, having the tendency to push said armature back from'its extreme position. 1

An embodiment of theinvention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying' drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a switchoperating mechanism of the preferred form of construction.

Figs. 2 and 3 show each a modified form of construction;

A double electromagnet 2, 3, having a 001m mon iron-corev 4, serves for adjusting the pointed rails 1.

In the form of construction shown in Fig.

1 the armature 4 is connected to alever 6'oscillatable around a; pivot-pin 5 so that said armature 4, as soon asit is attracted by the electromagnet 2 or 3, makes said lever 6 oscillate in the one or other direction. [The end of the lever 6 is connected by a pull rodf? to the pointed rails 1. 1

Between the lever 6-and the pull-rod 7 an idle movement is inserted according to the invention, which is produced in this form of;- constru cton by a bolt-9otwleverg6 engaging with a longitudinal slot of rod 7. On

,to earth.

the lever 6 contacts 10 and 11 are mounted,

which are earth-connected by a lead 12. Contacts 13 and 14 are arranged at a distance from the contacts 10 and 11 which is not greater than the idle movement of bolt 9 in slot 8, said contacts 13 and 14 being adapted to be moved along with the contacts 10 and 11, when these contacts bear against the contacts-13, 14 at the oscillating movement of the lever 6. With this object in view the-cone tacts 13, 14 are mounted insulated in a bowshaped carrier 15, adapted to slide'with longi:

tudinal slots on bolts 0, 0. v

The one end of the winding of the electromagnet 2 is connected to the contact 13 and the one end of the winding of the electromagnet 3 is connected to the contact 14, the other, ends of the two electromagnets' being connected, in avmanner known per se, by a lead 16 to the railway-feeder. Of two springs 18 and 19 the onespring 18 is put under tension from theiarmature .4 by an abutment 20 only, when the electromagnet 2 in excited statev has attracted-the armature and brought thereby the pointed rail 1 into the position shown inrFig. 1 by means of the connecting rods 6 and 7 In this position the contacts '10 and 13 touchv each other so that the current from the railway-feeder, flowing through the lead 16, the electromagnet 2, the

contacts 10, 13 and the lead 12, is connected When the circuit is interrupted in the lead 16, this beingelfected in a manner known per sevwhich will-be hereinafter described, the electromagnet 2 releases the armature which isthen pushedback by the action of spring 18 as long as the bolt19 of the lever 6 is moving idly in the longitudinal slot 8 of the pull-.rod;7. As soonfas b'olt 9 strikes against the corresponding end of slot; 8, thefriction and the action of the spring which. controls the pointed rails are suflicient to prevent- -further movement "of the armature; by the Spring-18.

magnet 3 between the lead 16 and contact 37 When the lead 16 is being switched on the feeder 17 the elements being in the position shown in Fig. 3, the electromagnet 3 excited by the current earthed through lead 16, coil of the electromagnet 3, contact 37 and bowarm 40, attracts the armature 4 which, through the intermediary of lever 6 bowarm 39, arm 23 and pull-rod 7, reverses the switch and puts at the same time the spring 19 under tension. At the next following circuit-interruption the spring 19 pushes back the armature 4 so that the lever 6 is oscillated. As at this oscillating movement of lever 6 the arm 23remains in its position notwithstanding the action of the spring 19 in opposite direction, the nose ll of lever 6 will make the bow oscillate until the end of the bow-arm 4C0 strikes against the lever 6, the outer side ed on the said pivot axle and operated by said how to operate the switch.

2. A switch-operating mechanism as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the armature of the electromagnet, two

blade springs which at the reversing of the of the bow-arm 39 being pressed at thesame time against the contact 36. At the next following circuit-closing the e-lectromagnet 10 will be excited and the switch turned into the former position.

These springs 18 and 19 serve merely for changing the contact and are therefore much weaker than the ordinary known spring used for effecting the shifting of the pointed rails from one position to the other. This known spring is omitted from the drawing for the sake of clearness as it has no bearing on the invention.

At the reversing of the switch the outer surface of the bow-arm slides on the corresponding contact and for this reason the contacts 36, 37 are elastic in order to ensure reli able contact and to avoid breakage.

Several other modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For the springs 18, 19 counterweights or the like may, for instance, be substituted.

I claim:

1. A switch-operating mechanlsm for elec-- tric railways in which the pointedralls are adjusted by means of a transmlsslon lever and by an electromagnet of an exciter circuit when the driver of the car is running under a certain point of the railway feeder wlth the motor-starter switched in, comprislng 1n combination with the pointed rails with the electromagnet and with the transmission lever, an adjusting armature on said electromagnet, an idle run inserted between said I armature and said pointed rails for reversing the exciter circuit, a pivot axle, a pivotally mounted lever adapted to be operated by said electromagnet, a two-armed bow oscillatably mounted on said oscillatable lever the arms of said how gripping with clearance over said lever and coupled with said lever toothlike for alternately earthing the ends of the electromagnet Winding at the oscillation of said lever and an arm pivotally mount- 

